Washing machine cylinder and closure means therefor



July 6, 1948. L. M. HARVEY WASHING MACHINE CYLINDER AND CLOSURE MEANS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March L1, 1941 July 6, 1948. L. M. HARVEY 2,444,603

WASHING MACHINE CYLINDER AND CLOSURE MEANS THEREFOR Filed March 11, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 K i 00 000 b0000 o oooooooolooooooo'oooooo [000 O0 O00OOOOOO$OOOOOOOOOQOOO00 000 o 000 oo'oo: 000000 oooo 0 0000 00000 000 00 00 0 ooooOoOoOl 00 00 000 o ooooooooo 000 00 46 000 ot fiooo o?59)|;0000oo ooo w ooooh fl 000 000 '9 000 I I o o ooooo o 00000000' 2000o Z 0 ooooooooe doooooooo: OOQ 23 j 000 OOOooooq oOOOQQOOQI O OOO 000 00000000 060000000: oooooo c0 0 0 000000 o oooooooool oooooo 00o ooooooo'o 000000000 000000 aria 63:

Patented July 6, 1948 WASHING MACHINE CYLINDER AND CLOSURE LIEAN S THEREFOR Leo M. Harvey, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 11, 1941, Serial No. 382,715

This invention relates to washing machines and relates more particularly to the oscillatable or rotatable cylinders of commercial clothes washing machines. A general object of the invention is to provide an improved washing machine cylinder embodying dependable, effective and easily operable closure means for its access openmg.

Commercial clothes washing machines usually embody a stationary washing shell and a rotatable or oscillating cylinder within the shell. The shell has suitable valves or admission means for the water, washing mixtures, sours, bleaches, etc., and is provided with a dump valve. The cylinder is a hollow perforated structure for containing the clothes during the various washing operations and is mounted in the shell to turn or oscillate with respect thereto. The shell and cylinder are provided with openings to permit the easy insertion and removal of the clothes and these openings are equipped with closures or doors. Difficulty is encountered in providing a suitable closure for the access opening of the cylinder. As the cylinder rotates or oscillates the heavy mass of wet material or clothes repeatedly strikes the walls of the cylinder and the closure and the repeated impacts distort, spring and displace the conventional closures making them noisy, diflicult to operate and in time requiring their repair or replacement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure means for the access opening of a washing cylinder which effectively withstands the impacts of the wet mass of clothes and which does not become distorted, sprung, loose or difiicult to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure means of the character referred to in which the doors are tied into or coupled with the walls of the cylinder to, in effect, form parts of the cylinder walls capable of withstanding the buckling and tensile forces resulting from the outward impacts of the wet clothes masses so that such forces are distributed throughout the cylinder wall relieving the doors, the door fittings and the adjacent portions of the cylinder structure of the concentrated forces which might otherwise rack, distort or loosen the parts. The doors are coupled with the cylinder walls to be tensioned when subjected to internal pressures so that they cannot be displaced by such forces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure means of the character referred to in which the guides supporting the doors for movement between the open and closed positions 9 Claims. (Cl. 68-442) serve to tie the doors into the cylinder structure for the transmission and distribution of the forces resulting from the impact of the wet clothes masses against the doors and adjacent parts of the cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine cylinder and closure structure embodying novel lock or latch means for the closures which are in the paths of the closed doors and which are under compression to positively hold the doors in the closed positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine cylinder structure of the character referred to in which manual movement of the door handles in the door opening direction first releases the latches and then moves the doors to their open positions, each door requiring but one handle part for the release of its latch and to facilitate its opening and closing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a washing machine cylinder structure of the character referred to in which the looks or latches are substantially flush with the cylinder and are covered by the doors when the doors are open so that they do not interfere with the insertion and removal of the clothes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel inexpensive and particularly strong sectional washing machine cylinder of the character mentioned in which certain of the door guiding and retaining elements are formed on or constitute integral extensions of a clothes lifting rib of the cylinder which in turn is rigidly built into the sectional cylinder structure.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of typical preferred forms of apparatus and manners ofcarrying out the method of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a vertical detailed sectional view of the cylinder provided by this invention in position within a washing shell showing the doors closed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical detailed sectional view of a portion of the shell illustrating one form of door guiding .means. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a slightly modified form of guiding structure: Fig. 4 is a fragmentary external view of the cylinder showing the doors in the closed position, being a view taken substantially as indicatedby line 4-4 on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged f-ragmentary'longitudinal detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 55 on Fig. 4 illustrating one of the door locks. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 6-6 on Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken as indicated by line 1-1 on Fig. 5.

The washing machine cylinder structure of the present invention is adapted for use in washing machines of different types and the invention may be modified to suitit for usein wash ing machine's of different kinds. In the draw.- ings I have shown one embodiment of the invention mounted in a stationary washing shell of the class employed in commercial washing machines. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be construed as limited or restricted to the specific form or application of the invention herein disclosed but is to be taken as including any features or modifications that may fall within the scope of the claims.

The washing machine shell S illustrated in Fig. 1 is astationary cylindrical horizontally disposed member. The shell S has inlet means ||l for the water, washing materials, bleaching materials, sours. etc., and has a valve controlled dump or outlet H at its lower end. An access opening I2 is formed in the wall of the shell S tobe conveniently accessible to the operators and is closed by a door H. The door I3 is guided by guides H for movement between the closed and open positions. The opening I2 is of substantial size and is elongated horizontally of the shell S to give easy access to the interior of the shell.

The cylinder structure of the present invention may be said to comprise, generally, a sectional hollow cylinder l5 mounted in the shell S and having an opening H5 in its wall to allow for the insertion and removal of the clothes, doors I! for the opening |6, means |8 for guiding the doors IT. and releasable means IQ for latching or looking the doors I! in the closed positions.

The cylinder I5 is an elongate hollow structure supported in the shell S in concentric relation thereto for rotation or oscillation about its longitudinal axis. The cylinder I5 is a sectional sheet metal assembly comprising end plates 2|! and a plurality of elongate curved or arcuate side wall sections 2|. The end plates 20 are fiat, parallel, disc-like members carried by heavy or rather thick wheels 22, see Fig. 6. Trunnions 23 are formed on or fixed to the wheels 22 to mount the cylinder l5 and one or both of the trlmnions may serve for the transmission of the turning or driving forces. The cylinder wheels 22 have out-turned axial flanges 24 and the end plates 2!] have similar out-turned rims 25 engaging about the flanges 24. The flanges 24 are provided at their outer ends with radially projecting annular lips or ribs 26 and the outer edges of the rims 25 engage or are adjacent the ribs. The longitudinal sections 2| of the cylinder l5 are joined together to form a cylindrical assembly which is connected between the cylinder ends. The opposite end portions of the sections 2| rest on the rims 25 and reenforcing rings 21 engage over these end parts of the sections 2|. Rivets 2B or other securing members are passed through radial openings in the flanges 24, rims 25, sections 2| and rings 21'! to securely tie or attach the cylindrical wall structure to the end plate structures. The wall sections 2| are perforated, havlng multiplicities of perforations 29 spaced throughout their extents to admit the water and washing liquids.

Lifting ribs R are provided on the interior of the shell l5 to lift and agitate the clothes when the cylinder is rotated or oscillated during the washing operations. The ribs R are elongate sheet metal members of substantially U-shaped transverse cross section, each having a rounded inner part and spaced side parts 30. One side part 30 of each rib R has an inturned flange 3| extending along its outer edge and this flange is welded, riveted *r otherwise fixed to the interior of a cylinder section 2| adjacent a longitudinal edge of the section. As best illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, outwardly projecting flanges 32 extend along the longitudinal edges of the sections 2|. The flanges 32 may be continuous integral parts of the sections 2|. One side part 38 of each rib R is extended or lengthcned to engage between the opposing flanges 32 on the adjacent edges of a pair of connected sections 2| In practice each rib R has an inturned flange 3| extending along one edge and secured to a section 2| and has an outwardly extending portion 33 on its other side part 30 received between a pair of the flanges 32. Rivets 34, welding, or both, secure the opposing flanges 32 and the rib portions 33 together. This structure is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. Tie rods 35 extend longitudinally through the hollow ribs R and are anchored at the wheels 22 to brace and reenforce the cylinder structure.

The opening I6 is provided to facilitate the easy insertion and removal of the clothes and is provided in one of the side wall sections 2| oi the cylinder I5. The opening I6 is preferably rectangular and elongated longitudinally of the cylinder l5 as illustrated. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the opening I6 is spaced between the longitudinal edges of its side wall section 2| The cylinder structure thus far described is fully disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 352,582, filed August 14, 1940, now Patent No. 2,323,993 dated July 13, 1943.

The closures or doors H are provided to prevent the passage or loss of the clothes through the opening |6 during the operation of the machine. The doors H are shaped and proportioned to fully close or completely occupy the opening l6 and to form symmetrical continuations of the cylinder wall. While but one door may be employed I prefer to use two doors of like size and shape. The pair of doors ll forms a closure which is somewhat larger than the opening l6 so that the doors have marginal portions overlying and bearing on the cylinder l5 along the several edges of the opening l6, when the doors are in their closed positions. The doors I1 are elongate members of the same curvature of the cylinder sections 2| to be concentric with and to evenly bear on the outer surfaces of the section 2| which has the opening l6. Perforations 36 similar to or identical with the perforations 29 are proyided in the doors H. The inner edges of the doors I! are reenforced by angular members 31 and the outer edges of the doors are reenforced by similar but somewhat angular members 38. The members 31 and 38 may be welded, riveted or otherwise fixed to the outer surfaces of the doors I1 and are arranged to have upstanding flanges or project ing flanges flush with the adjacent end edges of the doors. The wall of the cylinder l5 may be reenforced at the opening l6 by a reenforcing strip 39 riveted, welded or otherwise fixed to the internal surface of the cylinder to surround the opening.

The means I8 for guiding the doors I! is an important feature of the invention. The means I8, in addition to supporting and guiding the doors II, ties the doors into the cylinder structure so that the doors dependably connect the portions of the cylinder at opposite sides of the opening IE to strengthen and reenforce the cylinder structure and so that the doors themselves are depend'ably supported against displacement. buckling, racking, etc. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 to '7, inclusive, of the drawings, the means I8 includes guide rails applied to the outer surface of the cylinder I5 to extend along the upper and lower edges of the opening l6. These rails are of like construction and each includes a base part iii which is fiat or slightly curved to lie against the outer face of the shell l5. The base parts to may have out-turned fianges 4i extending along what may be termed their outer edges to strengthen the rails. The rails further include parts 42 projecting outwardly or radially at the inner edges of the base parts 40 and parts 63 extending laterally from the outer edges of the parts 42 to be substantially parallel with the base parts i and to be spaced outwardly from the wall of the cylinder I5. Lips 44 are turned in at the outer edges of the parts 43 at abrupt or acute angles to the parts 43. The lips M are of less radial extent than the parts 62 so that their inner edges are spaced from the wall of the cylinder I5. The. rails just described may each be a one piece continuous element extending throughout the length of the cylinder I5, that is :between the reenforcing rings 21 on the opposite ends of the cylinder. The rails define grooves or channels which have restricted mouths or entrances facing toward one another. The guide rails are located so that their lips M are immediately adjacent the upper and lower walls of the opening I6.

The door guiding means l8 further includes runner parts on the doors l1 cooperating with the above described 'rails. In the preferred construction illustrated these runner parts are integral with the doors II, it being understood that they may be separately formed elements suitably attached to the doors. Thedoor runners extend along the upper and lower edges of the doors I! and may be continuous. The door runners comprise parts i projecting outwardly from the doors I! at acute angles thereto. The parts 65 are disposed at the same angles as the parts 44 and are arranged to bear or ride on the inner surface of the parts 44. The door runners further include substantially flat parts 46 on the outer edges of the parts 45 shaped and arranged to ride on the inner sides of the rail parts $3. The outer edges of the parts 46 slidably cooperate with the inner surface of the guide parts 42. It will be seen that the parts 65 cooperating with the parts 44 and the parts 66 slidably engaging with the parts 42 and 43 dependably hold the doors I! against outward and circumferential displacement. The cooperation of these parts is such that the doors I! may normally be reenforces the cylinder and completes the wall of the cylinder at the opening I8 so that the opening may be of suitable or adequate dimensions without weakening the cylinder structure. It is to be understood that the parts of the guide means I8 are related so that the doors I! are I rib R. In this" construction the opening i6 has one longitudinal wall, say the lower wall, adjacent the rib R and the portion 33 of the rib R is provided with a laterally projecting extension or part ll. The part 31 corresponds to the above described parts 43 and projects toward the opening IS in spaced generally parallel relation with the wall of the cylinder I5. A lip 44 corresponding to the lips M projects inwardly from the edge of the part 41 at an acute angle to cooperate with the runner part 45 on the doors IT. The part 46 slidably engages against the inner surface of the part 41 and its edge rides on the adjacent and opposing flange 32 of the cylinder I5. The door guiding means at the other edge or upper edge of the opening I6 may be as illustrated inFig. 1.

The lock means or latch means I9 serves to hold the doors I! in the closed positions when the machine is in operation and are readily releasable to allow the doors to move to their open positions. There is a separate latch means I9 for each door II and in the preferred structure each means I9 includes a case or housing &8. The housings 48 are welded, riveted or otherwise fixed to the inner surface of the cylinder I5 adjacent the opposite ends of the opening I6. In practice the housings 48 may have flanges 49 attached to the cylinder I5. A latch 50 is mounted in each housing 48. Pivot pins 5| pivotally support the latches 5Ilbetween pairs of lugs 52 formed on the walls of the housings 68. Longitudinal openings or slots 53 are provided in the Wall of the cylinder I5 to communicate with the interiors of the housings i8 and the latches 50 project through these openings to cooperate with the outer ends of the doors I1.- The latches 50 are supported on axes spaced outwardly beyond the doors I! and the latches are formed and arranged to project outwardly and toward the ends of the doors. The outer ends of the latches 50 are fiat to cooperate with the ends of the doors I? and the angle members 38 of the doors. The angle of thelatches 50 with respect to the plane occupied by the doors IT is slight so that the latches are under endwise compression when in engagement with the doors to hold the doors closed. The relationship of parts is such that the inner edges of the doors and the angular members 31 thereon cooperate or abut when the latches 50 engage with the outer ends of the doors. operate with stops 55 in the housings 8 to stop the outward pivoting of the latches and to hold the latches where they engage the ends of the doors I'I. Springs 56 anchoredin the housings 48 are connected with the latches 50 to urge the latches outwardly for latching or holding engagement with the doors. The outer edges of the latches 50 are provided'with sloping surfaces 51 to facilitate the release of the latches as will be later described. The housings 48 and the openings 53 are formed Tails 55 on the latches 50 copositions.

to fully receive the latches 50 when they are retracted.

The invention provides novel and effective means for releasing the latches 50. Each door ll carries a pair of spaced guides 58 and 59 longitudinally aligned with the latches 50. The guides 58 and 59 are arranged adjacent the inner and outer ends of the doors I! and may be angle members positioned in edge to edge engagement with the reenforcing members 31 and 38, respectively. Latch releasing rods 60 are slidably guided in openings in the guides 58 and 59 and the reenforcing angle member 38. The rods 60 extend outwardly beyond the guide members 38 and their outer ends are engageable with the sloping surfaces 51 of the latches 50. Handle means are provided on the inner ends of the rods 60. Handles 6!, provided with internal grooves 62 for the reception of the'rods 50, are fixed to the rods by screws or the like. The handles are recessed at their inner sides to engage over the guides 58 and have inwardly projecting flanges or lugs 63 at their inner edges. The lugs 83 engage with the ends of the rods 50 and are adapted to cooperate with the outstanding flanges of the guides 58 to limit the outward movement of the handles and the rods 50. The outer sides of the lugs 63 are spaced a suitable distance from the outstanding flanges of the reenforcing members 31 and are easily manually engaged for the manual outward shifting of the rods 60. It will be observed that the rods 60, the handles 6!, the latches 50 and the guide parts 58 and 59 all lie close to the surface of the cylinder l5 so that they cannot interfere with the shell S.

The handles 6| may be manually shifted in opposite directions or toward the ends of the cylinder l5 to release the latches 50 and to shift the doors I! to their open positions. The initial portions of the outward movement of the handles 5| shift the rods 50 with respect to the doors i1 and the outer ends of the rods cooperate with the sloping surfaces 51 to swing or pivot. the latches 50 inwardly out of engagement with the doors II. The lugs 63 then come into engagement with the outstanding flanges of the guides 58 for the direct transmission of movementto the doors IT and the doors are shifted outwardly or opened. As the doors I! move outwardly they ride over the released latches 50 holding the latches retracted and covering the latches and the openings 53. The outward movement of the doors I! may be limited by the outer endsof the doors engaging the rings 21. Suitable stops 55 may be provided in the rails of the guide means 18 to limit the inward movement of the individual doors IT to stop the doors in their closed When a door IT is moved to its closed position it uncovers the opening 53 allowing the latch 58 to pivot outwardly under the action of its spring 56 so that the latches again engage with the end of the door to hold the door closed.

It is believed that the utility and practicability of the improved cylinder structure of the invention will be understood from the foregoing detailed description. The door supporting and guiding means I 8 ties or connects the doors il in the cylinder l5 in such a way that the doors are fully operative as wall parts of the cylinder for the transmission of the forces to which the cylinder is subjected by reason of the clothes 8 and from being displaced and reenforces both the edge portions of the doors and the parts of the cylinder i5 adjacent the opening it. The means I8 may hold the doors under tension to better resist flexing, bulging and displacement. The door latch means I9 are easily released by merely pressing outwardly on the handles BI and this operation may serve to move the doors to their open positions. It will be observed that the latch means I9 do not embody spring, projecting parts or delicate parts on the doors which might be injured or which might foul the clothes being placed in and removed from the cylinder I5. The latches 50 are entirely covered and protected when the doors I! are open and there is no possibility of injuring or fouling the latches. The latches 50 are automatically restored to their active positions upon closing of the doors and it is unnecessary to set or condition the latches.

Having described typical preferred forms and applications of my invention I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a washing machine, a hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall for admitting and removing the clothes, a door for the opening, and means for shiftably guiding the door for movement between open and closed positions comprising runner parts on the door extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the cylinder and presenting opposing surfaces, and elongate guide parts on the cylinder extending longitudinally of the cylinder at opposite sides of the opening and cooperating with said opposing surfaces to guide the door for said movement and transmit circumferential forces between the door and cylinder in both directions.

2. In a washing machine, a hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall for admitting and removing the clothes, 8. door'for the opening, and means for guiding the door longitudinally of the cylinder formovement between the open and closed positions, said means comprising interlocking parts on the door and cylinder extending longitudinally of the cylinder at opposite sides of the opening capable of transmitting circumferentially directed forces in both directions between the cylinder and door whereby the door may be maintained under tension.

3. In a washing machine, a hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall for admitting and removing the clothes, 9. door for the opening. guide rails on the cylinder extending longitudinally of the cylinder, and runner parts on the door shiftably engaged in the guide rails for supporting the door for movement between its open and closed positions and for tying the door into the cylinder structure for the transmission of circumferentially directed compression and tensile forces between the parts of the cylinder at opposite sides of the opening.

4. In a washing machine, a hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall for admitting and removing the clothes, a door for the opening, and guide means for the opposite longitudinal edge portions of the door supporting the door for movement longitudinally of the cylinder between the open and closed positions. each guide means comprising two elements, one on the cylinder extending longitudinally thereof at one side of the opening, the other on the door and extending along one longitudinal edge portion thereof, one element being a, channel memher having spaced opposing longitudinal walls. the other element being a runner received in the channel member and shiitably engaging said opposing walls.

5. In a washing machine, a hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall for admitting and removing the clothes, a door for the opening, and guide means for the opposite longitudinal edge portions of the door supporting the door for movement longitudinally of the cylinder between the open and closed positions, each guide means comprising a channel part on the cylinder presenting spaced opposing surfaces, and a runner on the door slidably operating in the channel and cooperating with said surfaces for the transmission of forces in .both directions circumferentially of the cylinder.

6. .In a washing machine, a. hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall for ad-' mitting and removing the clothes, a door for the opening, the door slidably bearing on the external surface of the cylinder along the longitudinal margins of the opening, and means at each iongitudinal edge of the door for guiding the door between the open and closed positions, each of said means comprising an element extending along a longitudinal edge portion of the door and an element on the cylinder and extending longitudinally along one margin of the opening, one element being a channel member having spaced opposing walls one of which is pitched with respect to a radial plane of the cylinder, the other element being a runner slidably received in the channel member and cooperating with said side walls to tie the door into the cylinder structure, the cooperation of the runner with the pitched wall holding the door against the cylinder.

7. A cylinder for a washing machine comprising a plurality of sections joined to form the cylinder wall, one of the sections having an open- Number 10 tions including a runner on the door slidably cooperating with the guide.

8. In a washing machine, a hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall for admitting and removing the clothes, at slidable door for the opening, a latch recessed in the cylinder and projecting therefrom to engage the door for the purpose of holding the door closed and positioned to be covered by the door when the door is open, and means for releasing the latch, said means comprising a cam face on the latch and a shiftable member on the door for slidably cooperating with the cam face to depress the latch.

9. In a washing machine, a hollow washing cylinder having an opening in its wall, a door for the opening movable between the open and closed positions, a latch on the cylinder for holding the door closed, a slidable part on the door for releasing the latch, a handle for said part movable with respect to the door in the direction in which the door is moved when moved to the open position, and means for limiting said movement of the handle so that initial manual movement of said handle in said direction releases the latch and continued movement of the handle in said direction opens the door.

- LEO M. HARVEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 120,187 Crossman et a1. Oct. 31, 1871 122,357 Butt Jan. 2, 1872 1,254,187 Aldrich Jan. 22, 1918 1,371,547 Burky Mar. 15, 1921 1,468,019 Guerrant Sept. 18, 1923 1,584,472 Daly et al Dec. 8, 1925 1,747,718 Jaxheimer Feb. 18, 1930 1,845,335 Rosendahi Feb. 16, 1932 1,883,646 Ellis Oct. 18, 1932 1,968,879 Gerlach July 31, 1934 2,038,066 Strobridge Apr-.21, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,175 Great Britain "Aug. 15, 1898 266,612 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1927 

